Blake Ebel reports in from Denver with news of new hires

We heard from ex-Chicago creative Blake Ebel today. Needless to say, he's loving his new job as chief creative officer of Factory Design Labs in Denver, Co., where even in the dead of winter he can wear a light jacket to work and enjoy Rocky Mountain vistas from his office complex.

Last summer, you may recall, Ebel departed Euro RSCG/Chicago, where he shared the chief creative officer post with Steffan Postaer, who exited the job just days ago. Postaer is searching for his next opportunity. Ebel said he has only had a couple of brief email exchanges with Postaer, but also said he has no doubt the ex-Euro RSCG creative will land on his feet. "The guy (Postaer) has a lot of connections," said Ebel, who oversees a creative staff of more than 35 people. The total body count at Factory Design Labs is around 125.

But the big news Ebel had for us is that he has hired two Chicago creatives at Factory Design Labs. They are Chicago freelance creative Jimmy Olson and former Cramer-Krasselt/Chicago creative Rick Hamann. Ebel worked with Olson on various projects at Euro. And Ebel said he has admired the work Hamann did at C-K, where he worked on several major accounts, including Porsche, Corona and Hyatt.

Rick Hamann is a terrific talent. So is Jimmy Olson. Plus they've got Blake and already employ ex-Chicagoan Tom Goodrich. Sounds like Factory Design Labs has some good people and that's what makes a difference at any agency anywhere.

Good luck guys. Remember to stock up on windshield wiper fluid--Denver gets dusty.